Flexible bristle head toothbrush



March 23, 1948! BRESSLER 2,438,268

FLEXIBLE BRISTLE HEAD TOOTHBRUSH Fild June 3, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 23, 1948 UNITED STATES OFFICE FLEXIBLE BRISTLE HEAD TOOTHBRUSH Louis B. Bressler, Southampton, Mass.

Application June 3, 1946, Serial No. 673,985

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in flexible bristle head toothbrushes and is directed more particularly to toothbrushes having flexible bristle carrying head portions.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to the provision of a toothbrush having a bristle supporting head portion which is flexible whereby the same may conform to the contour of the teeth.

I am aware of toothbrushes of the type wherein the head portion is composed of spaced bristle supporting sections that are held in relatively movable position by a metal spring but the metal is exposed to the chemical action of dentifrices and the like. This is objectionable for the reason the metal becomes corroded and the spaces between the sections are reduced by the metal and tend to become clogged up.

According to this invention the head portion of the toothbrush includes a plurality of bristle supporting sections which are spaced apart and joined together by connectors with a resilient or yieldable member extending through the sections and connectors. The brush is made from plastic material which is somewhat yieldable or flexible so that the connectors permit relative movement of the sections while the resilient member functions as a spring. In this way the sections are held against relative displacement while being relatively movable and the resilient r yieldable member is enclosed by the material of the brush and thereby protected against the action of dentifrices and the like.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claim hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a toothbrush embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the brush shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

The toothbrush of the invention includes a handle portion 2 and a head or bristle portion 4.

The bristle portion includes a plurality of bristle supporting sections 6 which are spaced apart and connected together by connectors 8. The section adjacent the handle portion is, of course, connected to the handle portion by connectors.

The connectors are preferably disposed adjacent the rear sides of the sections 6 and are spaced apart transversely of the sections so as to be adjacent opposite sides thereof. This arrangement provides transversely extending spaces or slots In between the sections which are of considerable area whereby foreign substances may pass through the slots and not lodge therein.

Side portions 12 of a spring-like member ex tend from the end of the handle through the sections and the connectors and are preferably connected ,by a portion M at their outer ends and, if desired, by a portion H5 at their inner ends.

The spring-like member will be made from resilient or yieldable wire and formed so as to be moldable in the toothbrush which will preferably be made by a molding operation from plastic material that is somewhat yieldable or flexible.

The side members l2 will preferably be curved longitudinally so as to normally hold the sections in the relative positions shown in Fig. 2.

The material from which the brush is made being yieldable or flexible the connectors 8 permit relative movements of the sections 6 so that in use the sections may conform to the contour of the teeth. Relative movements of the sections is resisted to some extent by the members l2 which tend to maintain the section in the normal relative positions shown in Fig. 2.

It will be noted that the sections are held in spaced relation against displacement while the connectors permit relative movements of the sections against the action of the spring-like member which is enclosed and thereby protected against the action of substances likely tocause corrosion thereof.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from th essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A toothbrush construction comprising in combination, an integral handle portion having a bristle portion at the outer end thereof made from relatively yieldable material, said bristle portion including a plurality of bristle sections spaced apart longitudinally of the toothbrush 5 4 concealed thereby, and bristles secured to said bristle sections.

LOUIS R. BRESSLER;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name 7 Date 1,466,723 Izawa Sept. 4, 1923' 1,928,328 Carpentier Sept. 26, 1933 2,254,365 Griflith Sept. 1941 

